Bloodthirsty Scarlet Fever

“It's the Moment of Mourning,” Melina said softly. She glanced at the nearby green grass, where a small, snowy-white wild flower bloomed. Its name was unknown, but it possessed a striking, abrupt beauty.

“Is it still established because of that principal's death?” Clo thought for a moment and frowned. No wonder she could smell a hint of unease; it was death, but different from the pure death that emanated from Li Yue.

“It wasn't established by the current principal, but requested by the students of the former one. Usually, it tolls three times, but today there was only one. It's strange... and that toll... the tone was very odd,” Melina mused. It seemed crisper than what she usually heard, perhaps because the tool used to strike the bell had been changed.

However... the students of Lobilance Academy were supposed to be very attentive to such minor details... especially the seniors who had studied directly under the principal...

“Sister Li Yue, it's almost time for my performance. I'm going to go prepare now.” Melina reached out her small hand and waved to Li Yue as a brief farewell. Li Yue waved back; she found the gesture quite cute and felt it was very affectionate when she did it herself.

“Bye~” Li Yue’s expression slowly darkened. She watched the dance music on stage, and no one knew what she was thinking at that moment.

“A Yue... let's go...” Clo took Li Yue’s small hand, only to be gently pushed away.

“Clo, you go ahead. I’m going to wander around elsewhere and see if I can run into any old friends,” Li Yue said with a forced, casual smile.

“Aren't... aren't we going together?” Clo asked. She looked into Li Yue’s eyes, but she couldn't read any information from them now.

“Those few... can't strictly be called friends. They might recognize you; after all, you are one of the academy's Five Staves.” Li Yue made up a reason on the spot. Although she wasn't sure if she would meet them here, they were technically her companions. It was just that after she arrived at the academy, both sides had lost contact for some unknown reason.

She had originally thought about escaping, so she hadn't cared about the affairs of the Royal Court. But now, for some reason, a voice kept telling her that there were some things she had to do. The shackles on her had never been unlocked; she had never experienced a single moment of freedom.

“You... stay safe,” Clo said, unsure of what else to say.

“Don't worry, I am their god. They walk the path I carved out; we are, more or less... on the same side.” Li Yue chose a descriptor for those people she wasn't yet very familiar with, but to some extent, they were indeed her loyal supporters.

Clo watched Li Yue’s figure disappear into the crowd. It felt like a long time since the two of them had been apart, even though they had been inseparable...

She suddenly realized that she and Li Yue could not yet be considered truly on the same path. She was a Great Mage of the academy, while her lover was the King standing on the other side of the world. Perhaps the day they met was just a joke played by fate.

Li Yue took a small glass vial from her bosom. It seemed to contain five milliliters of blood. The glass container looked high-end, but the manufacturing method was actually very simple: just heat the glass until it melted to seal it.

This was the only sealing method Li Yue knew that didn't require magic. Although she didn't know what would happen with bacterial contamination or if it would affect the blood's efficacy, her intuition told her it wouldn't taste good if not preserved properly.

This was a bit of Clo's blood, which Li Yue had forced herself to save while maintaining her sanity during the last time she fed. Only this kind of fresh blood wouldn't affect her.

Perhaps the blood of other Calamity Warlocks also contained much of the magic power she needed, but regardless, it just felt wrong.

Li Yue pressed her finger against the mouth of the vial. With a crisp snap, the glass at the neck broke. She knew this method would cause a small amount of glass shards to mix into the blood upon opening, but she didn't care about that at all.

In the moment she lost her reason upon drinking it, she had already tossed the glass vial into her mouth. With a series of crunching sounds, she didn't even want to miss the tiny bit of blood residue clinging to the walls of the bottle.

“I really am hungry...” Li Yue laughed at herself. Her blood-colored eyes seemed to regain some vitality, and her perpetually hunched back straightened. Her entire aura seemed different.

“Actually, there isn't anyone I know... I just want to go take a look, to see that coffin. But for all things, one must prepare in advance.” Li Yue rotated her wrist. For some reason, she didn't want Clo to be present while she did these things. Perhaps she didn't want Clo to see her killing?

She couldn't figure it out, but sending Clo away... was always for the best.

She took a long breath. The blood crystals hidden under her clothes regained some of their luster, and her long-dead heart began to beat with vitality. Her shadow trembled slightly.

It's back... everything is back...

Although she didn't know what everyone was hiding... if there really was some rag covering the corpses of her believers, she would definitely shred it all without hesitation.

Right... she suddenly knew why she had to send Clo away... Because... because...

A smile touched the corners of Li Yue’s mouth. The distant bell tolled crisply, carrying a hint of unknown pleasure, as if it weren't being played for any particular reason at all.